The
History of the Building
424-438 N. 34th was previously occupied by
a large house owned by James B. Ferree, numbered 3404
Spring Garden St.
1892 Bromley Atlas shows 424-438 N. 34th St. as a single lot owned by William Bliss.
424-438:
“three-story
Pompeiian brick late Queen Anne block. Porch-fronted, some altered. Brick
pilasters separating each unit. Elaborate pressed metal cornice and slate upper
story with projecting plinths between alternate forms of pedimented windowheads.”
(Inventory of
Buildings in Powelton from the application submitted to the National Register of Historic
Places, 1985)
Previous Residents
1895 Directory: Reach George A.
1895, Jan. 23: Death of Josephine Reach, 8 months
old, of 424 N. 34th St. She was buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery.
She was the daughter of George A.
and Mary Reach.
The 1909 directory lists George A.
Reach living in Bala. He was treasurer of the A. J.
Reach Co., a sporting goods co.
1900:
David H. Lovell 45 Railroad
superintendent; renting
Ella D. Lovell 42
Joseph D. Lovell 19 At school
Mary Lovell 15 At
school
Gregory Byrne 26 Servant
Gertrude Kibler 19 Servant
1906 Blue Book: Mrs. Arthur Hammond Warner.- “Receiving day
Monday”
Rev. W. Arthur Warner
Miss Grace Mona Warner
In 1900,
they lived at 2834 Frankfort Ave. Mrs. M. Marie Warner was 49 at that time and
already widowed. She was born in England.
1909, June 2: Marriage of Lillian Allison Wiedersheim
(200 N. 34th St.) to Rev. Arthur W.
Warner. at St. Andrew's Church, by the Right Rev.
Alexander Mackay-Smith
In 1910, they lived with her father
at 200 N. 34th St. (See that page for more biography on Rev.
Warner.)
1910:
Joseph S. Davis 65 Stock yard
superintendent; owner with a mortgage
Emma Davis 63 Married 33 years; parents born in
Edwin J. Davis 32 University
professor
1920:
James S. Rex 23 Chauffeur for a hospital; father born in
Flora M. Rex 24
James B. Rex 13 months
Mary W.
Buckwalter 60 Mother-in-law
Mildred I.
Buckwalter 19 Sister-in-law; bookkeeper for Ediphone
Co.
Robert J. Reist 26 Lodger; born in Ohio
Dalmanico G. Grabre 29 Lodger,
draftsman for Baldwin Locomotive; born in
Joseph
Brooks 24 Renter; hardware salesman
Lulu A. Brooks 27 Renter;
[sister-in-law]
James J. Rex married Flora M.
Buckwalter in Philadelphia in 1917. When he registered for the WWI draft, they were
living at 5914 Chancellor. He was working for Westinghouse Manufacturing.
Mary W. Buckwalter was the widow of
William Buckwalter, a locomotive engineer. In 1900 and 1910, they lived in
Pottstown, Montgomery Co. They had 8 children and were married about 1880.
Joseph Brooks married Lulu A.
Buckwalter in August 1919. In 1930, they were listed at 434
N. 34th St. then returned here for the 1940 census (see below).
1930:
James Rex 33 Salesman for a factory; married at age 21; parents born in
England; owner, house valued at $12,000
Flora Rex 30 Secretary for a physician; married at age 18
James Rex 11
-- next household
Mildred
Buckwalter 29 Sister-in-law of owner; secretary for a vacuum co.; single;
renting for $35 per month
-- next household
Lidie Tucker 71 Single; renting for $35 per month
-- next household
Garfield A.
Rupert 49 Steward [janitor] for a private school; married for first
time at age 19; renting for $40 per month
Margaret M.
Rupert 49 Wife; married for first time at age 44; born in Ireland
Garfield A. Rupert married Margaret
M. Reilly in Philadelphia in 1924.
1940:
Flora M. Rex 44 Secretary for a doctor, earned $1,170 in 1939; married; 4
yrs. of high school; owner value-$5,900
James B. Rex 21 Son; apprentice in air conditioning, earned $150 for 12 weeks
of work in 1939; 2 yrs. high school
Mildred
Buckwalter 40 Sister-in-law; bookkeeper for the Y.W.C.A., earned $1020 in
1939; single; 4 yrs. of high school
-- next household
Joseph Brooks 42 Seeking
work, previously worked as a pipefitter for the gas co., earned $240 for 16
weeks of work in 1939; renting for $25 a month; 8 yrs. of school
Lulu Brooks 47 Married at age 26; one yr. of high school; no children
-- next household
Enos N. Book 71 Renting
for $20 a month; one year of high school
Helen Book 78 Born in NY; 8 yrs. of school
Joseph and Lulu Brooks also lived
here in 1920.
The 1950 directory lists Flora M.
Rex living at 1904 Chestnut St. She passed away in 1982. Her husband, James S.
Rex, died in 1969.
1942:
“3 More Penna. Men Captives of Japs”
“Three
additional Pennsylvania service men were listed yesterday by the War Department
as prisoners captured on Wake Island and interned at Shanghai by the Japanese.
“They
are Sergeant James B. Rex, 22, son of Mrs. Flora Rex, of 424 N. 34th
St…..
“Rex,
who joined the Army in 1940, was a graduate in 1939 of Overbrook High School.
He was wounded in action….” (Inquirer, May 31)
His
likely capture was reported in February. He was first sent to Hawaii where he
was a Private in the Air Corps. (Inquirer, Feb. 21) He survived the war.
In 1950, he was living in Maple Shade, NJ. When his mother died, it was noted
that she had two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
1968 Directory: Walter P., 3rd
floor
1989: New business licenses: Jezel Apparel, women’s wear; 424 N. 34th St.,
Gwen Newman. (Inquirer, Oct. 30)
Revised: 12/13/2021